Kieran Trippier has told talkSPORT that England will have to be wary of Gareth Bale’s ‘great moments’ against Wales.
The Three Lions take on Rob Page’s side on Tuesday in a decisive Group B game.
A win will see Wales advance to the last 16, while England need only avoid a four-goal defeat but will seek three points to top the group.
If Wales escape from the group, their captain and top scorer Bale will undoubtedly be the protagonist, and his good friend Trippier will be tasked with stopping him.
The two didn’t play together at Tottenham but struck up a relationship while playing in Spain when Bale played for Real and Tripper was at Madrid rivals Atletico.
“I was lucky enough to live near him in Madrid and spent a lot of time with him,” said the defender, who won a Spanish league title.
“For his club career, I think the records speak for themselves of what he has done throughout his career, the achievements, the trophies he has won and what he has also made for Wales.
“He’s an incredible player and someone we should definitely be aware of as he shows up in these big moments like we’ve seen for club and country.
“It’s not just Gareth, they have quality all over the pitch, but Gareth is one we’ll definitely be watching – a remarkable player and what he’s done throughout his career is incredible in a team like Real Madrid.”
Tension between home country teams often builds up ahead of key matches, and a video has circulated that could have fanned the flames.
The Wales squad were captured celebrating England’s shock last-16 defeat to Iceland at Euro 2016, the lowest nadir of Roy Hodgson’s disastrous tenure.
Trippier, however, was shocked to learn that the video had even been released.
“As players, we haven’t even talked about it,” he said. “I’m not just saying that either, but again, as players we have to overcome these things every week.
“It’s not an extra motivation for us, to be honest it’s probably the first time I’ve heard someone talk about it, none of my teammates have talked about it.
“As players we just have to focus on tomorrow, listen to what the manager is saying, the tactics, go to the training ground and prepare for tomorrow’s game, so I’m calm and relaxed, and so are my teammates and nobody talked about the video.”
But does he see the shock of a kind of derby? Well, the answer is also no.
Trippier explained: “I don’t really see it differently, but I know from the past that it’s a big game.
“I think as players, certainly, and I can only speak for my team-mates, we play huge games every week for our clubs, so it’s good to have that pressure, but we certainly know how to handle it.
“It’s going to be another big game tomorrow and we know in recent years we’ve had some good games against Wales and it won’t be different tomorrow so both teams will be ready.”
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